Diabetes Cases Nearly Double in Children Worldwide: Experts Warn of Rising Type 2 Diagnoses

September 15, 2025 — The number of children and teenagers diagnosed with diabetes worldwide has nearly doubled in the past three decades, according to a major new study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology¹.

Researchers analyzed data from 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2021 and found a sharp rise in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes among people under 20. While the incidence rate of new cases continues to grow, the study reported a decline in diabetes-related deaths, suggesting that access to treatment and management has improved globally¹.

According to the World Health Organization, Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin because the body’s immune system destroys insulin-producing cells². It often develops in childhood or adolescence, which is why it was once called “juvenile-onset diabetes.”

In contrast, Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cannot use insulin effectively (insulin resistance) or does not produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. ² This form of diabetes has historically affected adults but is increasingly being seen in children and adolescents. Lifestyle factors such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and excess weight play a major role in its development. ²

The World Health Organization’s Diabetes Fact Sheet (2024) notes that the most common symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, and unintended weight loss. ³

A review published in NCBI Bookshelf’s “Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents” (2023) reports that about two-thirds of children are already experiencing the classic symptoms of polydipsia (abnormally intense thirst) and polyuria (passing urine more often than normal, including at night) at the time of diagnosis. ⁴

The research highlights a steep upward trend in diabetes incidence among young people, particularly type 2 diabetes, which was once considered rare in childhood¹. Experts warn that early-onset diabetes can lead to decades of exposure to high blood sugar, increasing the risk of long-term complications such as kidney failure, heart disease, and vision loss¹.

While higher-income countries reported faster growth in new diagnoses, low- and middle-income nations face a disproportionate burden of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) linked to diabetes, partly due to weaker health systems and delayed diagnosis. ¹

Elevated fasting blood glucose emerged as the top risk factor driving mortality and DALYs in this age group. ¹

Using ARIMA statistical models, researchers predicted that incidence rates will continue to climb for at least the next 15 years, placing additional strain on global health systems. Mortality rates, however, are expected to keep falling as treatment and disease management improve.

References:

1. World Health Organization. Diabetes. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes.

2. GBD 2021 Diabetes Collaborators. “Global, Regional, and National Burden of Diabetes from 1990 to 2021, with Projections of Prevalence to 2050.” The Lancet 402, no. 10397 (2023): 203–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01301-6.

3. World Health Organization. Diabetes Fact Sheet. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes

4. Zeitler, Philip, et al. “Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Children and Adolescents.” In Endotext, edited by Leslie J. De Groot et al. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc., 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279087/.

(Rh/Eth/ARC/MSM)